The Irish standard., 1887-02-12
MR., PARNEIL'S AMENDMENT.

MR.. PARNELII'S AMENDMENT.
Notwithstanding Mr.. Parnell's deli
cate state Of health he was able to be
present in his seat in the House OF Com
mons last Monday. Ou that day he
moved his amendment in reply TO the
Speech from the Throne. Tt is as fol-
lows:
"The relations between tn owners
and occupiers of land in Ireland have
not been seriously disturbed in the
cases of those who granted their ten
ants such abatements as were demanded
by the prices Of agricultural and pas
toral produce. The remedy for the
crisis in Irish agrarian affairs will be
found, not in the increased stringency
OF criminal procedure or in the pursuit
of such novel, doubtful and unconstitu.
tional measures as those recently taken
by her majesty's government. but in
such reform of law and system of gov
ernment as will satisfy the needs and
secure the confidence of the Irish
people,"
This remedy proposed by MIR. Parnell
is undoubtedly the true solution of the
perplexing Irish problem. is not by
coercion that England is ever going tc
secure peace in ireland Peace can
only be brought about hy dealing in an
honorable and coucil iatory manner
with the Irish people, In speaking on
the amendment. Mr.. Parnell is re-
ported by the associated press dis.
patches to have maintained that if tie
bill for stopping evictions, which he in
troduced last session, had been passed,
the condition of ireland would have
been greatly improved. The operations
Of the measure. continued MI. Parnell,
would have effectually prevented the
present disturbed relations between
! landlords and tenants The blame for
tie present serious position of Irish do
nestle affairs rests with the govern
nent. Despite this, they seemed about
to renew the mistake Of attempting CO.
| ercion in Ireland. Mr.. Par1ell solemnly
warned the government that if they
again tried coercion they would again
fail, as they always failed when trying
such a policy coercion would never
bring about better state Of affairs in
| Ireland or assist in establishing
peaceful relations between the two
| countries. If the governments pro-
| posed alteration OF the criminal pro-
cedure acts meant an attack on the
rights of Irishmen, the Immediate re-
suit would be that Sir Michael Hicks
Beach, chief secretary for Ireland, and
the Marquis Of Londonderry, the vice
roy, would rapidly find themselves de-
scending an inclined plane. and would
soon come asking parliament for more
coercion. In speaking OF the plan of
campaign, Mr. Parnell said the govern
nneut had been guilty Of unp1 ecedented
action in the manner in which they had
conducted the prosecution Of John
Dillon. They had been equally arbi~
trary in the method employed to sup
press the Sligo meeting and in the
adoption of the method Of striking off
juries in such way as to exclude
Catholics. Mr.. Parnell asked if any
government could expect a nation,
three-fourths of the whole population
Catholics, would be content to have no
representation Of their faith in the jury
trials of their country. Referring to
the Glenbeigh evictions, the speaker
declared that the landlords gave the
tenants month only in which to find
FIVE years. rent. arrears and costs, The
ultimate offer made by the landlords to
take half years rent looked generous,
but the costs involved amounted to
over two years. rent. The National
League, Mr. ParneI continued, never
interfered until the work Of eviction
was in full swing. AS one who had no
responsibility in bringing forward the
plan of campaign, he could speak freely
upon it. Many tenants who had now q
roof over their heads would have been
cast out on the bare hilIsides but for
the plan. The reduction in the number
of eyictions for the last quarter was
mainly due to the plan. The govern
ment waited two months before declar-
ing the plan illegal. Was it illegal ?
That remained to be seen. In the
meanwhile he attached no importance
to the assertion of illegality. The gov
ernment, Mr.. Parnell said, talked of
robbery Of the landlords, forgetting
that almost every title to Irish land was
founded upon wholesale robbery and